Ellet tops Firestone in City Series softball postseason championship
Ellet senior shortstop Kierstynn Stephanoff entered Tuesday’s City Series softball postseason championship with a goal to reach base each time at bat and score, and to get a win.
Mission accomplished.
Stephanoff hit a triple and a single, walked once and scored three runs as Ellet topped Firestone 11-0 in a game shortened to 4½ innings because of the 10-run rule at Firestone Stadium.
“I am so upset to leave this team,” Stephanoff said with a smile on her face as tears started to form in her eyes. “I love this team so much. We had something this year that I have never had in the past four years of being here. We all love each other. We are a team. This is the best team that I have ever been on in high school. I am so happy that we went out on a high note. Our energy was through the roof. We were dancing before the game even started. The bus ride coming to the game was fun. The bus ride going home is going to be fun. I am so ecstatic.
“... I came into this game with a different approach, personally, than I have the last few games. I made it my goal to touch the plate every time I got on base, and I achieved that.”
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Ellet sophomore Rylie Sprouse pitched a shutout and limited Firestone (11-10) to one hit, a single by junior Jordan Williams in the fourth.
Sprouse finished with nine strikeouts and hit one batter. She pitched a no-hitter in a regular-season win over Nordonia last week.
“We had so much energy and we all picked each other,” Sprouse said. "… Before the game on the bus, we were hyping each other up and we were listening to music.”
Akron softball coverage from 2022: 'It feels amazing to win this game': Firestone tops Ellet in City Series softball final
Firestone and Ellet shared the City Series regular season championship last season and the Falcons won the league’s postseason crown.
Tuesday’s victory gave Chuck Shuman his 31st City Series postseason final title since he took over as Ellet’s softball coach in 1985. Ellet has also won 33 City Series regular-season titles, either outright or shared, under Shuman.
Ellet (14-6) scored two runs in the first inning, one run in the second and eight runs in the third.
“We gave up 11 runs during the season with them [in a 9-4 win and a 10-7 win], and Riley shut them out today," Shuman said. "She was on her game.
“You always ask your girls to be the best you can be in May and this is May. The last couple of games we have had a good feeling about how we were playing. ... I am impressed with how our team played here.”
Akron softball coverage from 2021: Ellet wins City Series softball postseason championship
Shuman praised seniors Stephanoff, Stephanie Eiseman, Carley Martin and Alison Brinley for their leadership.
Ellet sophomore leadoff hitter Avery Simmons walked twice, hit a single and scored two runs.
“There was a lot of energy that pulled us through in this game,” Simmons said. “… Our team is closely woven, and I think that helps everybody work together.”
Ellet junior Emily Kearns totaled two singles, two runs and an RBI and freshman Lulu Russell contributed two singles, an RBI and a run.
Sophomore Carmen Allen drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and sophomore Madie Tracy had an RBI on a fielder’s choice.
“I am so proud of all of us and the energy that we put into this game,” Kearns said. “We came in with no expectations other than to play our best.”
Ellet scored three runs on Firestone errors, two runs on wild pitches and two runs on passed balls.
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Firestone coach proud of seniors 'leadership'
Firestone is set to graduate seniors Ally Shkolnik, Katie Emery, Marissa Shannon, Ashley Agosti and Esther Jeong. Shkolnik, Emery, Shannon and Agosti helped the Falcons win a Division I sectional championship and the City Series title last year.
“I asked our senior class to do a lot,” Firestone coach Jill Williams said. “We were pretty much in a rebuilding year and our seniors played whatever position I needed them to play. They were there for their teammates and they helped a very young team work to become better. I am proud of the leadership they showed all year long.”
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ellet High wins Akron City Series softball postseason championship
